European Patent Publication EP 0 039 292 discloses the production of components from a suspension of glass fibers, polypropylene (PP) powder, bonding fibers and other auxiliary materials, and the shaping of components of this suspension by employing pressure and heat.
German Patent Publication DE 36 36 864 describes the use of a suspension made of glass fibers and thermoplastic bonding materials for the production of shaped bodies by depositing the suspension, drying it, heating it and then pressing it into a contour tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,038 discloses the use of a suspension of inorganic reinforcement fibers, for example glass fibers, or organic fibers, having high melting points, bonding fibers and thermoplastic powder for producing three-dimensional shaped bodies. The three dimensional bodies are formed by depositing the suspension into a preform in a mold, drying the preform, heating the preform, and then molding the preform under pressure.
Glass fibers and other inorganic reinforcement fibers are unpleasant to handle. They can cause skin irritation or allergies. Furthermore, synthetic reinforcement fibers with high melting points are expensive, and in some cases, these fibers can be difficult to recycle. Elaborate formulas with a multitude of chemicals are employed for producing fiber material suspensions with glass fibers. These formulas are difficult to manage and in some cases, may cause waste water pollution problems.